Rail clamp and holder.



P. MAYDA.

RAIL CLAMP AND HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED mac. 5. 1914.

1,173,204; Patented Feb. 29,1916.

PAUL MAYDA, F RANCHESTER, WYOMING.

RAIL CLAMP AND HOLDER.

Application filed December 5, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL MAYDA, a citlzen of the United States, residingat Ranchester, in the county of Sheridan and State of Wyoming, haveinvented a new and useful Rail Clamp and Holder, of which the followingis a specification.

The present invention appertains to a rail clamp and holder, and aims toprovide a novel and improved device of that character applicable to thebase of a rail for holding the rail against excessive or dangeroussliding movement upon the ties.

It is the object of the invention to provide a rail clamp and holder ofunique construction, whereby it may be readily and elfectively appliedto the base flanges of the rail, and whereby it may effectively engagethe rail and serve its function of holding the rail in place upon theties, especially when the rail is inclined or otherwise subjected tostrains tending to displace the same.

It is also within the scope of the invention, to provide a rail clampand holder of comparatively simple, compact and inexpensiveconstruction, which will be convenient, eflicient and practical in itsuse.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

The invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is an elevation of the clamp andholder as applied to a rail. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on theline 2-2 of Fig. 1.,

The present clamp and holder embodies a pair of companion orcooperatingsections 1 and 2 which are of equal length, and which are relativelywide and narrow, respectively. The remote or outer edges of the sections1 and 2 are provided with upper bent back or refleXed portions 3 and 1,respectively, forming hooks engageable over the edges of the baseflanges of the rail 1%. The sections 1 and 2 are adapted to fit snuglyagainst the bottom of the rail base when the Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Serial No. 875,685.

hoqks 3 and 4: are engaged to the edges of the rai The adjacent or inneredges of the sections 1 and 2 are provided with interengageable portionsor means 5 arranged to lock together by a relative longitudinal movementof the sections 1 and 2, and whereby the sections 1 and 2 will be drawntogether to clamp the base of the rail, and to prevent the sections 1and 2 from separating laterally. Thus, the bottom of the section 1 isprovided witha longitudinal groove 5 extending from end to end adjacentthe inner edge of the section 1, and which forms a depending flange ortongue 7 along the said edge of the section 1. The section 2 is providedwith an upper longitudinal groove 8 along its inner edge, for receivingthe flange or tongue 7 of the section 1, and which groove 8 forms anupstanding flange or tongue 9 engageable in the groove 6 of thesection 1. The grooves 6 and 8, and flanges or tongues 7 and 9 arearranged at a slight angle with respect to the rail and the obliquity orangle of the interengaging portions 5 serves to cause the sections 1 and2 to be drawn toward one another as they are engaged by a longitudinalmovement.

The widest or largest section 1 is provided with a dependinglongitudinal flange or rib 10 between its edges.

A bar 11 is fitted snugly within the hook 3 of the section 1 and isprovidedwith teeth 11 engageable with the corresponding edge of the railbase, the bar 11 also being provided at that side remote from the teeth11*, with rounded lugs 12 received by rounded recesses 13 formed in thehook 3 of the section 1. The lugs 12 of the bar 11 fitting within therecesses or sockets 13, will hold the bar 11 against longitudinalmovement when the device is applied to the rail.

'The upper face of the section 1 is also provided with a longitudinalchannel 14 above the flange or rib 10, and in which is seated a hardmetallic strip 15 having upper teeth or spurs 16 for engaging or bitinginto the bottom of the rail. The strip 15, like the bar 11, is formed ofsteel or other hard metal, whereas the sections 1 and 2 may be made ofmalleable or softer metal. The strip 15 is provided at its side edgeswith rounded lugs 17 received by rounded notches or recesses 18 formedin the section 1 along the sides of the channel 14:. Thus,

movement within the channel 14 of the sec:

tion 1.

In the use of the present clamp and holder, the same is applied to thebase of the rail R, by first separating the sections 1 and 2longitudinally, and then applying them to the bottom of the rail withthe hooks 3 and l engaged over the edges of'the base flanges. Thesections 1 and 2 are then slid toward one another so that theinterengageable portions 5 of the sections will interlock, and as thesections are driven into alinement, they will be drawn together to clampthe base of the rail. The section 2 is preferably the one that is movedlongitudinally, or driven along the edge of the rail base, since thesection 1 is provided with the toothed bar 11 and toothed strip 15 forengaging the rail base to hold the section 1 against longitudinalmovement along the rail. It is evident that when the sections areapplied to the rail, the teeth 11 of the bar 11 will engage thecorresponding edge of the rail base, while the teeth 16 of the strip 15will bite into the bottom of the rail, so that the rail R- and section 1will be held against relative movement. 7

Th present clamp and holder is adapted to fit between a pair of theties, whereby the sections 1 and 2 and the flange or rib 10 of thesection 1 in fitting between the ties, will hold the rail againstsliding movement on the ties, that is, to an abnormal or dangerousextent.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A rail clamp and holder comprising two sections to fit below the railbase having hooks at their remoteportions for engaging over the edges ofthe rail base, and having interengageable portions adapted to interlockby a relative longitudinal movement of "thesections for holding thesections against lateral separation, and a bar fitting snugly in one ofsaid hooks and co-extensive in length with the respective section, oneedge of the bar having teeth to engage the respective edge of the railbase, and the opposite edge of the bar having rounded lugs projectingtherefrom, the bend of the respective hook having rounded recessesreceiving said. lugs, and said recesses being spaced from the outersurface of said hook.

A rail clamp and holder comprising relatively .wide and narrow sectionsarranged to fit below the rail base and having hooks at their remoteportions for engaging over the edges of therail base, said sectionshaving interengageable portions adapted to interlock by a relativelongitudinal movement of the sections for holding the sections againstlateral. separation, the relatively Wide section having an upperlongitudinal channel extending from end to end, said channel beingrelatively wide and shallow, and a strip. seated in said channel andcoextensive in length with said section, the strip having upstandingteeth to bite the bottom of the rail, the side edges of they striphaving rounded lugsprojecting therefrom, and saidsection having roundedrecesses along the sides of the channel receiving said lugs.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

. PAUL MAYDA..

Witnesses i i I R. E. MILLS, T. WV. SHo'rT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

